in his
side. They could not well miss it, he presented so wide a mark to the
shot. He bounded over trees under the smart, but the shafts clattered
thicker and thicker at his ribs, and at last one entered his heart. He
fell to the ground, and heard the whoop of triumph sounded by the
hunters. On coming up, they looked on the carcass with astonishment, and
with their hands up to their mouths, exclaimed: "_Ty-au! ty-au!_"

There were about sixty in the party, who had come out on a special hunt,
as one of their number had, the day before, observed his large tracks on
the plains. When they had skinned him his flesh grew cold, and his
spirit took its flight from the dead body, and Grasshopper found himself
in human shape, with a bow and arrows.

But his passion for adventure was not yet cooled; for on coming to a
large lake with a sandy beach, he saw a large flock of brant, and
speaking to them in the brant language, he requested them to make a
brant of him.

"Yes," they replied, at once; for the brant is a bird of a very obliging
disposition.

"But I want to be very large," he said. There was no end to the ambition
of little Grasshopper.

"Very well," they answered; and he soon found himself a large brant, all
the others standing gazing in astonishment at his great size.

"You must fly as leader," they said.

"No," answered Grasshopper; "I will fly behind."

"Very well," rejoined the brant; "one thing more we have to say to you,
brother Grasshopper" (for he had told them his name). "You must be
careful, in flying, not to look down, for something may happen to you."

"Well, it is so," said he; and soon the flock rose up into the air, for
they were bound north. They flew very fast--he behind. One day, while
going with a strong wind, and as swift as their wings could flap, as
they passed over a large village the Indians raised a great shout on
seeing them, particularly on Grasshopper's account, for his wings were
broader than two large mats. The village people made such a frightful
noise that he forgot what had been told him about looking down. They
were now scudding along as swift as arrows; and as soon as he brought
his neck in and stretched it down to look at the shouters, his huge tail
was caught by the wind, and over and over he was blown. He tried to
right himself, but without success, for he had no sooner got out of one
heavy air-current than he fell into another, which treated him even more
rudely than that h